Victory Gardens Presents The Co-world Premiere Of APPROPRIATE By Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Directed By Gary Griffin

Victory Gardens Theater kicks off its 2013-14 season with the Co-World Premiere of Appropriateby Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, directed by Gary Griffin. Appropriate is presented in association with Actors Theatre of Louisville and was developed, in part, by IGNITION 2012. Appropriate runs November 8-December 8, with the press performance on November 15, 2013, at Victory Gardens Biograph Theatre, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

The cast includes: Jennifer Baker, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Cheryl Graeff, Leah Karpel, Keith Kupferer, Theo Moss, Mark Page, Alex Stage and Stef Tovar.

The creative team for Appropriate includes: Yu Shibagaki (scenic), Janice Pytel (costumes), Jesse Klug(lighting), Chris LaPorte (sound), Jesse Gaffney (props) and Ryan Bourque (fight choreography). Dennis J. Conners is the stage manager is Joe Schermoly is the technical director.

"Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is an undeniably unique, dynamic and political voice in American Theatre. Inspired by Chekhov and O'Neill, Branden's fiercely original play speaks powerfully and relevantly to America's timeless issues of race, history and family," says Artistic Director Chay Yew. "I first read Branden's new playAppropriate during the selection process for Victory Gardens' 2012 IGNITION Festival. During the IGNITION workshop process-and before the public reading-I immediately promised him a production at Victory Gardens. I knew this play had to be experienced our Chicago audiences."

He adds, "I'm extremely pleased to have one of this country's most exciting directors, Gary Griffin, join our VG family and direct our production. We are proud to partner with Les Waters and Actors Theatre of Louisville's Humana Festival to give Branden and Gary a longer creative process with Appropriate."

When the Lafayettes descend upon a crumbling Arkansan plantation to liquidate their dead patriarch's estate, his three adult children collide over clutter, debt, and a contentious family history. But after a disturbing discovery surfaces among their father's possessions, the reunion takes a turn for the explosive, unleashing a series of crackling surprises and confrontations. Acclaimed director Gary Griffin (Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Sunday In The Park With George andFollies) directs a potent and exciting play about the trouble with inheritance and the art of repression. Appropriate was developed and workshopped through Victory Gardens' IGNITION New Play Festival in 2012.

About the Artists

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins's (Playwright) plays include Neighbors (The Public Theater), Appropriate (Actor's Theater of Louisville), An Octoroon (Soho Rep, forthcoming), and War. He is currently a Residency Five playwright at the Signature Theater and a Lila Acheson Wallace fellow at the Juilliard School. Additionally, his work has been or will be seen at the Vineyard Theater, The Matrix Theater in LA, CompanyOne in Boston, Woolly Mammoth Theater in DC, and the HighTide Festival in the UK. He has taught at NYU and Queen University of Charlotte and his honors include a Paula Vogel Award, a Helen Merrill Award, and the inaugural Tennessee Williams award. He holds an MA in Performance Studies.

Gary Griffin (Director) directed The Color Purple and The Apple Tree on Broadway. Off Broadway credits include:Honeymoon in Vegas (Paper Mill Playhouse), The Sound of Music (Carnegie Hall); Lost in the Stars, The Apple Tree, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Pardon My English, The New Moon (Encores!); and Beautiful Thing (Cherry Lane Theatre). London credits include Pacific Overtures at the Donmar Warehouse (Olivier Award for Outstanding Musical Production and Olivier nomination for Best Director).

Jennifer Baker (Cassidy) makes her Victory Gardens debut with Appropriate.Jennifer's professional credits include Paramount Theatre Fiddler on the Roof (Shprintze), Drury Lane Ragtime (Little Girl) Jeff nomination- Best Ensemble, Eclipse Theatre The Fever Chart (Alya), Next Theatre A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant (Analytical Mind/Ensemble), Lyric Opera of Chicago Cavalleria Rusticana andPagliacci(Flower Girl), Monitor Spectare at Wildclaw Theatre, the national tour of The Wizard of Ozat The Chicago Theatre, Porchlight Music Theatre's production of It's A Wonderful Life (Beth Bailey), Gypsy (News Boy and Balloon Girl).

Kirsten Fitzgerald (Toni) makes her Victory Gardens debut. She is a member of the Artistic Ensemble at A Red Orchid Theatre where her performances include The Butcher of Baraboo, The New Electric Ballroom (Jeff nomination), Abigail's Party (Jeff nomination), The Sea Horse (Jeff Award), Pumpgirl (Jeff nomination), Weapon of Mass Impact, Mr. Bundy (Jeff nomination), The Killer and more. Other Chicago credits include Clybourne Park,The Elephant Man, and A Streetcar Named Desire (Steppenwolf Theatre); Iron (Apple Tree Theatre); Major Barbara (Remy Bumppo); Romeo and Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Miss Witherspoon (Next Theatre);Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage (Defiant Theatre ); A Moon for the Misbegotten (Circle Theatre) in addition to work with Goodman, Shattered Globe, Famous Door, Plasticene and the Utah Shakespeare Festival among others. Kirsten teaches acting at DePaul University and Columbia College. She has appeared on the small screen in Sirens (USA-January 2014 premiere), Chicago Fire (NBC), ER (NBC) and Underemployed (MTV).

Cheryl Graeff (Rachael) returns to Victory Gardens where she also appeared in The Whale, Love Person and Rain, River, Ice, Steam. An ensemble member with American Blues Theater Company since 2002 and will be seen in Blue's production of American Myth in March/April 2014. Regional and Chicago theaters including: Court Theatre, Missouri Repertory, Piven Theater, Mary-Archie, Folio Theatre, Nebraska Repertory, Trap Door, Kansas City Repertory, Milwaukee Repertory, Madison Repertory, Chicago Dramatists, Public Trust, Strawdog, Famous Door, New American Theatre Company, and Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Film & television credits include:Chicago Fire, Chicago Code, Private Practice, Chat, The Wake, Streamline, Tinsel, Alleyball, Whirly Bird andStranger Than Fiction. Cheryl is producing, writing and staring in a web series titled "It's You," due out in Spring, 2014.

Leah Karpel (River Rayner) returns to Victory Gardens. Previous VG credits: The Whale, We Are Proud To Present..., and The Shotgun Message (Ignition Fest). Other Chicago credits include: Buena Vista, The Glass Menagerie, and The Hot L Baltimore (Steppenwolf Theatre), Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom (Strawdog Theatre), and Punk Rock (Griffin Theatre). Regional credits include: Ten Chimneys (Milwaukee Rep); Half And Half (Penguin Rep); The Play About My Dad(CollaborationTown); and Evanston: A Rare Comedy (HERE Arts/PS 122). Leah received her BFA from Boston University and is a graduate of The School At Steppenwolf.

Keith Kupferer (Bo) theater credits include God of Carnage, High Holidays, Sarah Ruhl's Passion Play and The Old Neighborhood at the Goodman Theatre; Good People, Middletown, South of Settling, Of Mice & Men, Carter's Way, Men of Tortuga; Things Being What They Are; Jesus Hopped The A Train and Tavern Story at Steppenwolf Theatre; Execution of Justice with About Face Theatre; Cat Feet and The Old Neighborhood at Northlight; Desire Under The Elms, a co-production between Philadelphia's Freedom Theatre and Chicago's Court Theatre; and the long running hit, Shear Madness. Keith is a founding member of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble and was seen in their productions of American Wee-Pie; 26 Miles; Expecting Isabel; Indulgences in the Louisville Harem; Be Aggressive, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Age 13 & 3/4 ; My Simple City; and Hamlet. Other Chicago credits include The Unseen, The Meek, Canus Lunis Balloonis, (nominated for a 1998 Joseph Jefferson award for Best Ensemble), and The Physicists for A Red Orchid Theatre; and Big Lake, Big City, Trust and Hillbilly Antigone for Lookingglass Theatre.

Alex Stage (Rhys) makes his Victory Gardens debut. His Chicago theatre credits include The March(Steppenwolf); Letter's Home and The Burnt Part Boys (Griffin Theatre); Pump Boys and Dinettes (Theo Ubique);Hamlet (The Hamlet Project). Other theatre credits: The End (2010 Humana Festival), A Christmas Carol, A Christmas Story, and Dracula (Actors Theatre of Louisville), Hamlet and The Tempest (Great River Shakespeare Festival). Alex received his BFA from the University of Evansville.

Stef Tovar (Franz) makes his Victory Gardens debut with Appropriate. He was recently nominated for a Jeff Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical as Luther Billis in South Pacific at the Marriott Theatre. Other Chicago credits include TimeLine Theatre, Oak Park Festival Theatre, Fox Valley Rep, as well as shows at Chicago Shakespeare, Northlight, American Blues and Apple Tree Theatre, where he won a Jeff Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Play for Blade to the Heat, directed by Gary Griffin. Stef is the founder and Artistic Director of Route 66 Theatre Company. He will play Miller in the world premiere of The Downpour by Caitlin Parrish for Route 66 next season. Stef's film credits include Kenny in Employee of the Month (with Matt Dillon), Dan in The Gymnast and Contagion. TV credits include Boss and the premiere season Chicago Fireas Daniel Schwartz.

Appropriate was developed, in part, at Vineyard Arts Project, Ashley Melone, Founder and Artistic Director; the 2012 Sundance Institute Theatre LAB at the Sundance Resort; and Victory Gardens Theater, Chicago, Illinois, Chay Yew, Artistic Director, Jan Kallish, Executive Director, as part of IGNITION 2012.

IGNITION Festival of New Plays, Victory Gardens' innovative and hugely successful new play development program, was conceived to support the theater's mission of new plays and diversity. In the spring of 2010, 120 writers of color from around the United States submitted new scripts for the first phase of IGNITION.

Full performance schedule

Previews of Appropriate are November 8-14, 2013: Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 3 pm. Previews are $20-$40. The Press opening is Friday, November 15, 2013, at 7:30 pm. Regular performances run through November 16-December 8, 2013: Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 pm; Saturday at 4 pm; Sunday at 3 pm. Regular performances are $20-$50.

Performances are at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, in the heart of Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. For tickets and information, call the Victory Gardens Box Office, 773.871.3000 (TTY:773.871.0682), email tickets@victorygardens.org, or visit www.victorygardens.org. Ask the Box Office about student tickets ($15), senior, Access, 20 for $20, and rush discounts. For group discounts, call 773.634.9874.

A full and updated schedule of special events, post show discussions and presentations centered around performances of Appropriate is available at www.victorygardens.org. The following events are currently scheduled in conjunction with Appropriate: